Mohali: LoP Harpal Singh Cheema meets protesting teachers

Mohali, November 5

Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly and Aam Aadmi Party leader Harpal Singh Cheema today visited the overhead water tank near the Sohana gurdwara and spoke to 646 unemployed PTI teachers who had been holding a protest there for the past 23 days.

Cheema contacted Sippy Sharma, who was atop the overhead water tank, on her mobile phone and asked about her welfare. Sippy, along with four others, has been atop the water tank for the past 22 days and observing fast unto death for the past 17 days.

The AAP leader assured the protesters that he would take up their demand for jobs with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Education Minister Pargat Singh.

Gurlabh Singh, aka Bhola, president of the 646 Unemployed PTI Teachers’ Union, said five of the protesting teachers climbed atop the 26-ft high water tank and sat on a hunger strike. He said for the past two months, they had been receiving assurances from the administration as well as ministers but nothing was done to fulfill their demand.

Bhola claimed that Pargat Singh, when he was just an MLA, had promised to provide them regular jobs and also told them that if he became a minister, he would get it done at the earliest. He said after becoming the minister, Pargat Singh forgot the promise.

The union leader said they had already submitted a memorandum with regards to their demand to the state government. — TNS